Sefton Park

Infant and Junior Schools

Pupil Parliament

Pupil Parliament is where children get a chance to talk about how to improve our school. As well as getting ideas from a child’s point of view we also like to do things like help charities such as Children in Need and Deki. It gives us the chance to be responsible and encourages us to be active citizens.

Pupil Parliament is based on a model developed in a group of learning schools in the US, in which every participant is regarded as a member of the 'crew' i.e. no person is merely a passenger. Mixed year groups meet around the school and the meetings are led by Year 6 pupils, and whilst staff are present in all meetings, they do not officiate.

The agenda for each meeting is agreed between staff and year 6 children and the staff receive immediate feedback from the children; this means that the model is extremely responsive and the staff can gauge the response of the children almost immediately. This has led to a culture of respect and openness thro​​ughout the school with the children feeling listened to, which has supported the progress of all children including the PPG children. The concepts that the children discuss can range from philosophical to practical. They often take in issues that affect our school community and support ways in moving the school forward.

Children enjoy and rise to the responsibilities of being a leader. The year 6 children in particular have taken on the mantle for planning and leading, with work shared at home across the school gmail accounts. Younger children feel empowered to have their voice and the model of Parliament encourages dialogue between children of all ages.

"It’s good because the children listen to us and they think we’re helpful." Year 6 child

"It’s good because we learn about different things and we are asked about how to improve the school." Year 4 child

"It is fun because we get the opportunity to teach people and it’s very much our responsibility, which I love." Year 6 child.